has a distinct passion and enjoyment for paintreminds me of your magazine, Simply Elevate, you
ing. Her love for painting didn’t develop as child, don’t go to the negative you go to the positive.”
because as she explains it, “I was too busy doing
Mary Lillian goes on to tell us that, “We as a group
chores around the house. We lived on a farm and
thought that this was so unique and so helpful, that
we had a lot of chickens so I washed all of our
we started a club, we called it Elizabeth River Arteggs, you know the chores hanging out clothes
ist Association.” That Group celebrated their 40th
and cooking and all of that stuff, and so I did not
anniversary in 2012. Mary continued her art educastart as a child.” She giggles and further explains tion by studying with Top Art Professionals in her
that her love for art started a little later in life.
area, which included many of the nation’s premier
“First I started in ceramics, as a young teenager
artists.
and did that for about 10 years. Then I went into
china painting classes. The lady that taught the
Mary Lillian over time really started understandchina painting, she also taught painting. So I saw
ing the unique quality of her gift and developed the
what she was doing and got interested in that, and confidence to go full throttle in the business of Art
she taught me prints. I learned a lot from her but I which lead her work to get recognized in several
wanted to do my own thing. I didn’t want to copy artist showings, one being at the Riverview Galanyone else and that was very important to me,
lery. Her awards and accomplishments include
to have creativity and individuality.” Mary Lilrecognition at the Haygood Art Show, Great Bridge
lian decided to further her
Woman’s Club Art
Art education and to learn the
Show, Emporia
basics that she felt she needed
Art Show and the
in order to start setting herself
prestigious Peoples’
apart from others. She began
Choice Award at the
taking classes and received
Fair for Arts Show.
her art foundation through
She has premiered at
studies at Tidewater Coma juried Irene Leach
-Mary Lillian White Exhibit, the Walter
munity College in her hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia.
Chrysler Museum,
There she formed a tight relaand a juried show
tionship and connection with the other Artist in her at the Mariners’ Museum. She has gotten awards
class. One of the things that stayed with her from from the Tidewater Artist Association’s Gallery
that experience was the process that her class took Exhibit and the Portsmouth Art Museum. Private
when they would critique each other’s work. She
collections of a number of very prominent citizens
happily shares her story, “Most times when you are also display her work, as well as a local hospital
around people that are interested in the same thing, in Virginia. Her leadership accolades includes
there tends to be a lot of competition. We encour- achievements and offices she has held with the
aged each other in this group, we were an unusual Elizabeth River Artist Association; Secretary and
group. After we painted something we would
Treasurer, Vice President, and President. Mary Lilhave to put it up in front of the class and it would
lian’s involvement with artistic endeavors is extenbe critiqued by the class.” She further explained,
sive, through the years, she has designed and made
“If it was your turn to critique a painting and you
window treatments, illustrated books, designed
happen to get a painting that you didn’t like at all, and painted book covers, taught art in three priyou could not say anything negative about it. You vate schools, and still always take the time to help
had to start off with something positive even if it
others master the field of Art. She has a passion
was that you just like the colors. And then, rather
for what she does and it manifests throughout her
than saying what was wrong with it, you had to
work as she transfers to the viewers a window into
say what they could do to improve the painting. It her heart, mind, and soul. In her fantasy paintings,
“Strength comes from the
Lord and I always pray
that God use my art for His
glory.”
40
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